A Fair Arrangement
by beachmomma77
Summary: She needed a date. He needed a job. It would've been the perfect arrangement, until her family wanted to meet him. A/N: Written for the Strictly Dramione Movie Fest. Characters may be written differently from Canon. fic may be updated in the future.


Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

 **June 4th, 2004**

He was done for!

Draco Malfoy came to that conclusion as soon as he blurted out three little words he didn't mean to say out loud. Oh, she was going to hex him so badly, he started to fear that the Malfoys will suffer the same fate as the Black family men.

'I want children!'

Draco winced at the recollection of the biggest slip up of his life. He may as well have cast an Avada on himself, he thought. He certainly didn't mean to be so tactless, especially in front of Hermione's entire family. Now, he needed to pack his things, and leave before she finds him. He knew he wasn't safe as long as he was within the Granger's Grasmere Estate.

The blond Ministry intern hurried inside the room he had been sharing with the comely Muggle-born for the last five days, and Accio-ed his luggage. Within minutes, he had managed to stuff most of his clothes inside his small travel bag.

'This entire setup was a huge mistake!', he thought to himself, while he packed away his shoes and flip flops. 'I should NEVER have agreed to do this!'

"Draco?"

He froze at the sound of an old woman's voice coming from right outside his door, and knew right away that it belonged only to the spirited old woman whom he thought Hermione should've taken after.

"Are you in here?"

"Yes, Bernice," he called back, pushing his luggage under the bed.

"Are you decent?"

"Yes I am," he responded.

"What a pity!"

Draco smirked, and shook his head. This old woman would give his parents a heart attack if they ever met her.

"Hi Bernice," he greeted, as the vigorous old woman entered the room, wearing the bright yellow caftan from earlier, but she had a blanket wrapped around her as if she were feeling cold.

"I thought I'd drop by and check if you were alright. I was surprised you took off all of a sudden. Something you said?" she asked jokingly, as she strode inside her granddaughter's bedroom, and looked around. Her brown eyes chanced upon the luggage he carelessly stowed, peeking out from under the bed, and shifted her gaze back to Draco.

"Draco, are you leaving?"

He fell silent, and kept his head bowed. Hermione's grandmother had been one of the kindest people he'd ever come across in the last five days, and to break her heart would be cruel.

"Is it because you said you wanted to have children?" the eighty-seven-year-old woman inquired, thoughtfully. "If it is, that's perfectly fine. You're both of age, and if you propose to her soon enough…"

"Bernice," he said, cutting Hermione's grandmother off. "There's something I need to tell you."

"Oh!"

Draco felt his heart hammer against his chest. Hermione wasn't going to like this one bit, he thought; but he didn't want to lie about his role in her life anymore - certainly not after today.

"Draco?"

"Right. You might want to sit down for this," he told her. "And whatever happens, please let me finish talking."

Bernice Granger looked at her granddaughter's fiancé curiously, and sat on the wing chair right across the bed. "Alright," she said. "I'm seated now."

"Yes you are," he chuckled nervously, and cleared his throat. "Bernice, I… well, that is to say… Hermione and I…"

"Yes?"

"We…" he said, silently cursing himself for sounding like a complete idiot. Draco paused and took a deep breath. "As I was saying, Hermione and I… well, we…"

"Yes?" the old woman, asked again, slowly nodding her head to encourage him further.

"We…"

"Sleep together?" she filled in. "I would assume that, being that you stay in one room."

"What! No, Bernice… I would never -"

"You don't sleep beside my granddaughter? Are you not interested in her?" the old woman inquired, her tone slowly rising.

Draco raised his eyebrows in shock. "Of course I am, but -"

"But what?" she asked, rising from her seat.

"But will you please listen to me first like you promised?" he exclaimed, his eyes widened in surprise after he realized whom he had just raised his voice at.

The old woman took a deep breath, and sat back on the easy chair her granddaughter loved. "Very well, Draco."

"And please, listen to what I have to say first before you react," Draco pleaded.

"You have my word."

The handsome young man nodded, and took a few calming breaths before he finally spoke again. "I don't know where to start."

"The beginning is always a good place," Bernice said calmly.

"Right," he nodded, silently hoping that the Granger matriarch wouldn't have a heart attack because of what he was about to tell her.

"Bernice, Hermione and I… well, we're not really a couple," he started explaining, when he heard the old woman gasp. Draco closed his eyes, and summoned all the courage he had to continue speaking. "She isn't in love with me, and I… I wasn't in love with her at the start."

oOoOo

March 22nd, 2004

Draco moaned in relief as his back hit the deliciously firm mattress on the king size bed. It was ten in the evening, and he has had another long day representing the British Ministry, along with his manager, at the International Wizarding Trade Summit. He placed an arm under his head, and stared listlessly at the ceiling of his designated room in the Presidential suite he shared with his boss, and felt grateful that the Ministry decided not to scrimp on their accommodations this time. The Hotel Plaza Adalie along the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris was as good as it gets, the young Ministry intern thought. Minister Shacklebolt must've been keen on making a good impression with the international community, he wanted nothing but the best for his representatives.

The silence slowly lulled the young man to sleep, but just as he was about to escape to dreamland, he heard a soft rap on his door. He looked at the door, as if waiting for the person to knock again. Several seconds passed before he heard the sound again.

'That's odd!' he thought, knowing that the only other person in the suite was his manager. Merlin forbid she'd need anything from him at this time.

The dashing blond bolted out of bed and headed for the bedroom door when he heard the knock a third time. Opening the door slightly, he raised his eyebrows at the sight of his highly opinionated boss standing right outside his bedroom, wearing an oversize grey fleece dressing gown over her black cotton pajamas.

"Granger?"

"Malfoy! Thank Merlin you're still awake," she sighed in relief. "I need a favor."

His eyes shot wide open at her pronouncement, and he quickly tried to mask his surprise. "Why Granger, I'm sorry but I don't sleep with bosses!" he exclaimed.

Hermione's eyes grew just as wide as his, and her jaw dropped for a good three seconds before she regained her composure.

"Eew! Oh, please, no!" the brilliant brunette winced. "How dare you even suggest that!"

Draco blushed. "Uh… my apologies, Grange- I mean, Ms. Granger."

"No need for formalities, Malfoy. Besides, you already called me Granger earlier."

"Alright then. What do you need?"

"You might want to sit in the living room for this," she said.

He grunted. "Granger, I've been hugged by no less than the Dark Lord, and lived to talk about it. I can handle anything."

The comely brunette took a deep breath, and closed her eyes. "Right," she said. "The Ministers of Japan and Africa are attending the Summit starting tomorrow, so the French Prime Minister wants to hold a gala in their honor. It's a very important event, and a good opportunity to establish our relationship with these two Ministries."

He nodded, while trying to understand what exactly she needed from him.

"So, I was wondering if you could come with me tomorrow evening," she said tentatively.

"To the gala?" he exclaimed incredulously. Silly as it sounded, Draco couldn't recall a time he and the brilliant brunette had been within a feet away from each other in public. He even overheard her tell Kingsley she would rather attend the Summit alone, then appear at the event with him. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you have to bring a date?"

"Well, not really, but…"

"So, why don't you go by yourself?"

"I would, but -"

"But?"

"Malfoy, please," she pleaded.

The dashing blond held her gaze, and smirked. "Desperate measures, Granger?" he teased. "What is it - a prospect or an ex-boyfriend?"

She rolled her eyes. "Can't I just want steady company during the gala?"

"Well, you've attended Ministry galas by your lonesome," he said, leaning against his door frame. "I don't see why this should be any different."

She huffed. "I don't see why this information is pertinent to your decision."

"Suit yourself," Draco replied, coolly, as he started to shut the door.

"Wait!" she cried out, as she attempted to stop him from closing the door.

"Well?"

"My ex-boyfriend is attending the gala," she said blankly.

"Oh!" Draco said, thinking back at the number of Ministry galas and Christmas parties she attended with an older wizard, whom Weasley said was her boyfriend. Now that she'd brought it up, the young blond realized he hasn't seen her with a date during the last gala a few months back.

"Shouldn't this be a good time for you both to rekindle the fire?"

Hermione stared at him like he'd grown two heads all of a sudden. She shook her head, and made a face. "Malfoy, he's attending the party with his pregnant wife."

"Oh," he said, when it all started to make sense.

"Yes," she repeated sadly. "Oh."

He was torn. On the one hand, he wanted to help her out; after all, it must be terrible to be in the same party as someone you traded hearts with. On the other hand, he was a Slytherin; he didn't just commit random acts of charity. He smirked. Maybe this could work to his advantage after all.

"Granger, if I say yes to this gala…"

"I will personally see to it that you get the job at the Magical Sports and Education department that Dean is vacating next month," she completed for him. "You have my word."

His smirked grew wider, and he chuckled. "Looks like you have a date to the gala, then," he winked. "Good night, Granger."

"Good night, Malfoy."

Draco watched the brilliant witch walk back to her room, he hips gently swaying from side to side. If he had to be honest, the Muggle-born witch had grown to be easy on the eyes - easy enough to become the star of his friends' fantasies. While he wasn't remotely interested in her, he thought it wouldn't be bad to attend a gala with a beautiful and intelligent woman for a change. He went to sleep with a smile, thinking for once, that all will be well.

oOoOo

"Well, I hardly see how that is a problem."

Draco looked at the old woman and smiled uncomfortably, not really sure how to tell her that he's only just started.

"Oh, were you going to tell me more about it?" she asked, when she noticed the awkward silence between them. "I'm sorry, Draco. Go on, please."

"Thanks, Bernice," he responded.

"I'd really like to hear about your date with my granddaughter," she said, as she adjusted the blanket around her shoulder. "I'm sure the two of you sent sparks flying."

Draco grimaced slightly. Telling Hermione's grandmother about the arrangement was going to be more difficult that he thought.

oOoOo

March 23rd, 2004

This was a huge mistake!

Draco came to that conclusion while he was shielding his eyes from the blinding flashes coming from the news reporters' cameras. It hasn't even been a good ten minutes since he arrived at the gala with a stunning Hermione Granger, yet they've made quite a stir at the lobby of the Prime Minister's Palace along the 7th Arrondissement.

"Mademoiselle, is Monsieur Malfoy your new beau?" one of the nosy reporters asked, as the pair made their way to the ballroom. The paparazzi caught them by surprise, as they were never hounded like this back in London.

Draco took her hand, and led her away from the ruckus, while cameras kept flashing in the background. It reminded him of the time his family was tried for their crimes during the Second Wizarding War, and it wasn't something he wanted to go through again. He felt Hermione tighten her grip on his hand, so he glanced at her to check if she was alright.

"Hermione!"

The couple paused briefly to find the person who'd just spoken. Standing a few steps away, by the reception area, was the ex-boyfriend she'd told him about, and his lovely wife.

"It's good to see you," the stately dark-haired wizard greeted, smiling at the pair who'd just escaped the press.

"Good evening, Julian," she responded coolly.

"You've met my wife," the good-looking Dutch wizard said, pulling a very pregnant brunette in a silver dress beside him.

"Of course," she feigned a smile.

"And this must be -"

"Draco Malfoy," Draco replied, holding out his hand to the man, who looked a lot older now that he's seen him up close. Hermione's ex-lover was probably in his forties, he appraised silently. Whatever did she see in him?

"Lucius Malfoy's son," the older man said, shaking his hand. "Pleased to meet you. I'm Julian Visser. I work for your father."

"Is that so?" the blond asked, haughtily.

"Yes, I'm part of the RD team in the Netherlands. We manufacture -"

"Wolfsbane Potion, yes I've heard," Draco finished off for him. "Father told me you fellows had a little issue with your quality control of late. Said it caused him a nasty headache, and several million galleons. I hope he's exaggerating."

Julian's arrogant smile faded abruptly, his face flushed. "He's not entirely wrong about it, but there -"

"Yes, yes. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for it," Draco said coolly before glancing at his date for the night, who looked nothing short of pleased with the way he cut her ex-boyfriend down to size. "Shall we take our seats, Hermione?"

The comely Gryffindor suppressed a gasp that almost escaped her lips. In all the years she'd known the Pureblood Prince, she had never heard him call her by her first name. She almost thought he wasn't aware what it was.

"Hermione?" he asked again, bringing her back to her senses. Draco watched as his date simply nodded at him. Bewildered, he offered his arm to her again, and looked at her ex-boyfriend. "Excuse us, Julian and…"

"Lisa," the curly-haired brunette, who looked like a plumper version of Hermione chimed in cheerfully. "You two make a lovely couple!"

"Right," Draco said, carefully masking his surprise. "If you'll excuse us."

The pair walked into the ballroom, where they were greeted by the Prime Minister and his wife. Hermione met the Ministers of Japan and Africa, who were thrilled to have gotten up-close with the brains of the Golden Trio. They took pictures, and chatted over champagne and quiche, before the pair were led to their seats.

Just as they were starting to get settled in, Hermione's mobile started to vibrate. He looked at her strangely. "That thing vibrates?"

"Well, I do need to be alerted somehow. Besides, I can't have it ring out loud," she whispered sharply.

"Is that the only use you have for the vibrate function?"

"You have a sick mind," she said, as she grabbed her phone to view her message. She gasped, staring at her muggle gadget in horror.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked, taking note that the feisty brunette suddenly turned pale. Eyebrows furrowed, he took the mobile device she handed him, and carefully looked at the screen. What. the. Fuck!

The dashing blond found himself staring at a photo of Hermione and him holding hands earlier with the caption 'A Parisian Affair' at the bottom, and the words 'Explain' and 'Harry' on top. Just then, a majestic-looking eagle owl swooped inside the ballroom, and dropped an envelope on his lap with an all-too-familiar emblem on the envelope. His heart pounded wildly against his chest, as he opened and read the short missive before he leaned closer to the beautiful brunette.

"I did not sign up for this," he whispered, handing the short note his parents sent that read, 'You must take her to dinner at the Manor upon your return.'

Hermione took a sharp intake of breath, and closed her eyes. This was not what she had in mind.

oOoOo

"So maybe your first date didn't go exactly as planned. Is that so bad?"

Draco blinked a few times, trying to keep his expression in check. He had been trying to get his message across for the past hour and a half, he was starting to lose his patience.

"Well, it wasn't just that -"

"Was the sex bad?" the spirited old woman inquired, tentatively.

"What… No!" he exclaimed, and immediately regretted his answer. "I mean…"

"See, that's one thing you have working for you," Bernice clapped her hands cheerfully. "You know Albert and I used to be mortal enemies ourselves, until we discovered how explosive -"

"Alright, Bernice," Draco blurted out, as he silently willing his stomach to stop churning at the thought of how the Grangers procreated. "How about I continue with my story?"

The old woman looked crestfallen for a couple of seconds, and then nodded. "Okay, Draco," she said. "But can you hurry it up, so I can tell you my story too?"

The dashing blond swallowed nervously, but nodded. Bernice seemed determined to lecture him on how to properly please a woman - not that he needed it; he just didn't want Hermione to think he was taking advantage of the situation.

oOoOo

May 21st, 2004

"Hey Ferret, Quidditch on Sunday. Be there!"

Draco nodded at Harry and Ron, as the duo passed him by on their way out of the Ministry at five in the afternoon on a Friday. It's been two months since the gala in Paris, yet he and the willowy brunette hadn't put a stop to their "relationship", especially since it's given them both the breaks they'd been waiting for at work - he finally landed a permanent job at the Department of Magical Education and Sports, and she got invited to tea parties and luncheons with the politicians' wives, where she got to network and lobby causes quite easily. Their agreement led to invitations to weekly lunches and Quidditch matches from the Potters or the Weasleys, which he realized he had been looking forward to - not for the Quidditch match, but for the frizzy-haired witch who always panicked whenever he flew too fast or too high.

The company she provided wasn't so bad either, the Pureblood prince thought as he leaned back on his seat, and placed his hands at the back of his head. Considering they only spoke when they were hurling insults at each other in school, he was pleased to find out that she was engaging, funny, and passionate. He smirked, remembering a debate they recently had on the updated House-elf Welfare Act, and how they debated even through text messages when they had already gone home.

The buzz on his shirt pocket shook him from his daydream. Draco fished out the muggle device to check on the new message that had just been sent to him. Thanks to her, he was now a proud owner of the latest mobile phone from Eden, something that his parents and friends were now starting to get used to.

'I'll be done in ten minutes. See you at the lobby. H'

Draco sighed, and looked at his watch. He owed her dinner for losing to a bet they made about the gender of Harry and Ginny's second child. He was positive it was going to be a girl, but the odds were against him. He rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt, and took off his tie. Hermione hated it when they look too formal. As if on cue, the brilliant witch sent him another message.

'Oops, meeting ended earlier than expected. See you in two?'

A wide grin appeared on his face, and his heart beat faster at the thought of seeing her again. He sprinted to the lifts, hoping to catch one going down. The folks from his floor, gladly moved to accommodate him before the doors closed. On their way down, two women told him he looked exceptionally dapper that day.

"Are you going on a date tonight?", one of them asked him, and he nodded in reply.

"Oh, love is such a wonderful thing!", the other one sighed.

'Love?' Draco asked himself, as the doors of the lift opened at the ground floor. He saw Hermione standing a few steps away, her back to him. When she heard people stepping out of the lift, she turned and smiled at him.

'Oh shit,' he thought, as he felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of her. He took a deep breath, and smiled back.

And just like that, he was doomed for life.

oOoOo

"You love her."

Draco felt his face flush, as Bernice said it so matter-of-factly, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Well?"

He gave her a small smile, and nodded. "Yes, I do."

"So what is with all this drama about you and her pretending -"

"She doesn't feel the same, Bernice," he said, cutting her off mid-sentence again.

The old woman simply smiled, shook her head, and stood to smoothen the creases on the yellow caftan Hermione gave her for her birthday. From where she stood, she could hear the young man sighing.

"Draco, my boy, the best love stories are those that happen over time," she said, as she stepped towards him, and held his face in her hands. "We knew you pretended to be together when you arrived a few days ago. Of course, we had our reservations, but -"

"Wait… You knew we weren't really a couple?"

"Yes, of course. We've never seen a more awkward couple since John Currin painted Lovers in the Country a few years ago," Bernice laughed, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "Richard wanted to call you both out when you first arrived. Oh, he didn't even want you to spend the night; I told him to give you a little time, and it worked, right?"

"How do you know she loves me?"

"Well that's simple. Hermione's the most impatient girl you'll ever come across," the old woman said, as she folded the blanket she had wrapped around her. "The fact that she stood outside the door for two hours instead of storming in the room says a lot."

"She's-?"

"Hermione, do come in," Bernice called, and watched in silence as the door slowly opened to reveal the youngest Granger, looking uncertain.

"How'd you know I was outside?" the brilliant witch asked, as she quietly entered the room.

"You don't think you're the only witch in the family, do you?" Bernice winked, handing the blanket to Draco before she made her way out. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I believe the two of you have a lot to talk about."

"Uh, your blanket -", Draco was starting to say.

"Keep it. That's a lucky blanket. It's been with us since Albert and I got married, and now I'm giving it to you."

"Thank you, Bernice," Draco said, holding the blanket close to his chest.

"We call it the mating blanket," the old woman laughed naughtily, closing the door behind her. She failed to see that the dashing blond discarded the blanket as though it were on fire, and watched it fall to the floor.

He gazed at her when she cleared her throat. She was a vision in her strappy white sundress, and her hair neatly tied in a ponytail. For the first time in his life, he didn't know what to say or how to start.

"So…" he said, clearing his throat as well.

"So," she echoed, and took a step closer to him.

"I assume you heard everything."

"I did," she replied, taking another step.

"And?"

"Draco," she said, she stepped forward until she stood exactly in front of him. She stood so close, that she could feel his breath on hers, and hear his heart beating just as fast as hers. Hermione gazed up and held his grey eyes with hers.

"Three months ago, I despised you. I hated that you had been chosen to attend the Summit with me… Heck, I was even praying you'd fall off the plane at one point, I think. Then, we had an arrangement - and I'm not going to lie, I hated the thought of being your girlfriend," she said, and noticed his eyes start to tear up. She smiled, and bravely lifted her hand to caress his face. "But things changed during the gala. People thought we were a couple, and more when we had to spend time with your parents, and my friends. I'd wake up to your silly morning greetings, and go to sleep with your corny good night jokes. When I brought you here, you didn't mind that my dad took you fishing, or that my cousins took you to the local strip club… or that Grandma made you chant with her in the forest. It almost felt real… I almost forgot we were only pretending."

Hermione smirked, and took a deep breath. "Then you ran away after saying you wanted kids, and I was shocked… and hurt… because I realized I also want that for us," she continued, frowning. "Only, there really wasn't any us."

"Hermione -"

"Draco," she said, cutting him off, and taking his hands in hers. "I don't want to pretend anymore. I'd like to trade my heart for yours. I don't know what it's like without you anymore. What do you say, will you be my boyfriend?"

His heart was going to burst, he could feel it. Draco silently thanked his lucky stars, while trying slowly to calm himself down.

"Sounds like a fair exchange," he replied, feigning nonchalance. "I knew you had a thing for me," he teased.

"Even if I did, you still said you love me first," she refuted.

"Yes, I did! And now I want to kiss my girlfriend, if you don't mind."

Hermione blushed, and then closed her eyes as he leaned in to brush his lips against hers for the first time ever.

The end.


End file.
